Centre for Education

in Mathematics and Computing

Euclid eWorkshop # 1
Logarithms and Exponents
c 2014 UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO
Euclid eWorkshop #1 LOGARITHMS AND EXPONENTS
TOOLKIT
If a, b, x, and y are real numbers and n is a nonzero integer then the rules for exponents are:
a
1
n
=
n

a a
0
= 1 if a = 0 a
x
=
1
a
x
if a = 0
a
x
a
y
= a
x+y
a
x
a
y
= a
xy
if a = 0 (a
x
)
y
= a
xy
a
x
b
x
= (ab)
x
a
x
b
x
= (
a
b
)
x
if b = 0
Also, 0
0
is not dened if it is encountered using any of the above formulae.
If a, x, and y are nonzero real numbers then:
log
a
(xy) = log
a
x + log
a
y log
a
(
x
y
) = log
a
x log
a
y
log
a
(x
y
) = y log
a
x log
a
(a
x
) = a
log
a
x
= x log
a
1 = 0
log
a
x =
1
log
x
a
log
a
x
log
a
y
= log
y
x
If f(x) = a
x
then f
1
(x) = log
a
x. You should be able to sketch the graphs of both these functions. The graphs are
shown for a = 2 below.
x
3 2
y
1
10
0
8
6
-1
4
2
-2
0
-3
x
30 25 20
y
15
4
10
2
0
5
-2
-4
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Euclid eWorkshop #1 LOGARITHMS AND EXPONENTS
SAMPLE PROBLEMS
1. Calculate the ratio
x
y
if 2 log
5
(x 3y) = log
5
(2x) + log
5
(2y)
Solution
First we note that if the 3 logarithmic terms are to be dened in the original equation then their arguments must
be positive. So x > 0, y > 0, and x > 3y. Now
2 log
5
(x 3y) = log
5
(2x) + log
5
(2y)
log
5
(x 3y)
2
= log
5
(4xy).
Now since the log function takes on each value its range only once, this implies
(x 3y)
2
= 4xy
x
2
6xy + 9y
2
= 4xy
x
2
10xy + 9y
2
= 0
(x y)(x 9y) = 0
So
x
y
= 1 or 9. But
x
y
> 3 from our restrictions so that
x
y
= 9.
2. If m and k are integers, nd all solutions to the equation 9(7
k
+ 7
k+2
) = 5
m+3
+ 5
m
.
Solution
We factor both sides of this equation to arrive at:
9(1 + 7
2
)7
k
= 5
m
(1 + 5
3
)
3
2
2 5
2
7
k
= 5
m
2 3
2
7
Now since both sides of this equation are integers and have unique factorizations it follows that m = 2 and
k = 1 is the only solution.
3. Determine the points of intersection of the curves y = log
10
(x 2) and y = 1 log
10
(x + 1).
Solution
Again the arguments of the log functions, x 2 and x + 1 must be positive which implies that x > 2. Now
CENTRE FOR EDUCATIONS IN MATHEMATICS COMPUTING 3
Euclid eWorkshop #1 LOGARITHMS AND EXPONENTS
log
10
(x 2) = 1 log
10
(x + 1)
log
10
(x 2) + log
10
(x + 1) = 1
log
10
[(x 2)(x + 1)] = 1
(x 2)(x + 1) = 10
x
2
x 2 = 10
x
2
x 12 = 0
(x 4)(x + 3) = 0
So x = 4 or 3, but x > 2 from our restrictions so x = 4. The point of intersection is (4, log
10
2) or
(4, 1 log
10
5). Since log
10
2 + log
10
5 = 1, these are equivalent answers.
4. Solve for x if log
2
(9 2
x
) = 3 x.
Solution
Once again the argument of the log must be positive, implying that 9 > 2
x
.
log
2
(9 2
x
) = 3 x
(9 2
x
) = 2
3x
=
8
2
x
Substituting y = 2
x
we have:
9 y =
8
y
y
2
9y + 8 = 0
Thus, y = 1 or y = 8. Substituting back in, we see that x = 0 or x = 3. Both of these satisfy the restriction.
5. The graph of y = m
x
passes through the points (2, 5) and (5, n). What is the value of mn?
Solution
From the given information, m
2
= 5 and n = m
5
. Thus
m =

5
n = (

5)
5
mn = (

5)
6
= 125.
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Euclid eWorkshop #1 LOGARITHMS AND EXPONENTS
PROBLEM SET
1. Determine x such that log
x
2 + log
x
4 + log
x
8 = 1.
2. Determine the values of x such that 12
2x+1
= 2
3x+7
3
3x4
.
3. What is the sum of the following series?
log
10
3
2
+ log
10
4
3
+ log
10
5
4
+ log
10
200
199
.
4. If x
3
y
5
= 2
11
3
13
and
x
y
2
=
1
27
, solve for x and y.
5. If log
8
3 = k then express log
8
18 in terms of k.
6. Solve the equations for the point of intersection of the graphs of y = log
2
(2x) and y = log
4
x.
7. The points A(x
1
, y
1
) and B(x
2
, y
2
) lie on the graph of y = log
a
x. Through the midpoint of AB a horizontal
line is drawn to cut the curve at C(x
3
, y
3
). Show that (x
3
)
2
= x
1
x
2
.
8. The function y = ax
r
passes through the points (2, 1) and (32, 4). Calculate the value of r.
9. If 2
x+3
+ 2
x
= 3
y+2
3
y
and x and y are integers, determine the values of x and y.
10. If f(x) = 2
4x2
, calculate, in simplest form, f(x) f(1 x).
11. Find all values of x such that log
5
(x 2) + log
5
(x 6) = 2.
12. Prove that a, b, and c are 3 numbers that form a geometric sequence if and only if log
x
a, log
x
b and log
x
c form
an arithmetic sequence.
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